San Diego — Juan Soto He arrives at Petco Park promising to bring “good vibes” to San Diego Padres and to issue a warning to the opposing teams.
Capturing the 23-year-old’s Generations talent in the biggest deadline deal ever revitalized the Padres and their long-suffering fans, and there’s more to come.
Soto and Josh Bell On Wednesday, join a lineup that is currently being pitched by the all-star slugger Mane Machado. short star Fernando Tates Jr.. He is expected to return from his broken left wrist in a few weeks.
It’s going to be really exciting. It’s going to be really tough to get through and I wish the other shooters good luck,” said Soto, laughing at an introductory press conference, when this squad hits the field.
After a few hours, Soto and the rest of the new team, Padres, were quickly living up to the ballplayer’s words.
Brandon Drury, who was acquired in a final deal with the Reds on Tuesday, grabbed a Grand Slam in his first game, Soto went 1-3 from a walk twice, Bale walked twice and scored twice while slamming San Diego Colorado. 9-1.
The trick-or-treat crowd rallied Soto with a standing ovation as he ran to his position on the right field in the first inning, and then again when he reached the plate at the bottom of the inning.
“It feels so great,” Soto said. “It brings me so many emotions.” “It feels great how they cheered me up. They gave us the energy to get out there and play hard.”
He walked four pitches on his first hit. Machado doubled behind him, Bale walked too, then Drury became the fifth player in the expansion era (since 1961) to hit the Grand Slam on his team debut, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“I was just running on adrenaline,” Drury said. “The fans were great tonight. To start with, the rules loaded, I was running on pure adrenaline. Really excited to be here. It was so special for me.”
It all added to a successful first night for Padres, who finished second in the Premier League while trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 11 games in NL West after Wednesday’s win.
Soto, one of the best young hitters in the game, said before the match that he was happy to include Bale in the trade. The two were flown to San Diego on a private jet Tuesday night.
“For me, I never knew I would trade together,” Soto said. “Maybe I was thinking to myself.” “When I realized I was coming with Josh, we had a great relationship and I was even more excited and excited because he’s coming and I know what kind of guy he is and what he brings to the table. I’m really excited so he’s sharing him at another club.”
Soto contributed to his first World Championship National Championship in 2019 and then reached 0.351 in 2020 to win the Premier League batting title. He’s in his second All-Star season in a row, and now he and Bill have joined the team whose playoffs chances have far exceeded.
Soto said all of the conversations with Padres General Manager A.J. Briller and his new teammates were, “Let’s win, let’s bring good energy to the club and the field, just come here and try to win. Try to bring my experience from 2019 as a world champion here in San Diego.”
“That’s what I’m going to do, that’s what’s been on my mind since I saw the trade yesterday. That’s what we’re going to try to do, trying to get to the last team standing.”
Soto thinks he will join one of the competitors in the world championships.
He said, “Yes, sure.” “This team has everything it needs to win the world championship.”
San Diego last played in the world championships in 1998, when the New York Yankees swept them.
Soto is under contract for two seasons after this year and said he is not thinking about anything after that.
“I’m just thinking about winning,” he said. “I’m just coming to this club to bring the energy I have, all the good vibes I have to bring here, to win.”
Soto and Bale come from the team with the worst record in baseball to the team that outlasted their chances in the postseason.
“It feels really great,” Soto said. “It feels really great to be here. Just moved on from a team that doesn’t have a chance to go here, it’s a great feeling, a new atmosphere, it’s a new beginning for me. It’s a new beginning, a new feeling. I go out there and give more than I have.”
Bell said, “Obviously we pour our hearts and souls into this game no matter where we are. … But there is a little extra fuel in the fire to be here and to be in the hunt and to have a reason to show up a little earlier each day to get the work done We need to get it done. I’m definitely happy to get a new opportunity here.”
Soto and Tates, also 23, have known each other since playing together in the Dominican Prospective League.
“This is my son, my hometown boy,” Tatis said on Tuesday. “I mean, we’ve played together since we were 15 and 16. Now we’re on the same team. It’s crazy.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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